Systems Engineer

For the OPS Consulting team, 'the power to help' means helping our clients, helping serve the mission, helping our employees and their families, and helping the community. Headquartered in Hanover, MD. OPS Consulting has over two decades of experience specializing in the most mission-critical operations. We are thought leaders and innovators. The ingenuity of our developers, engineers, cyber experts, linguists, and analysts are dedicated to empowering our clients, fulfilling The Mission, and remaining trusted leaders and advisers in national security and technology solutions.

We are seeking Systems Engineers to analyze user's requirements, concept of operations documents, and high level system architectures to develop system requirements specifications. Analyzes system requirements and leads design and development activities. Guides users in formulating requirements, advises alternative approaches, and conducts feasibility studies. Provides technical leadership for the integration of requirements, design, and technology. Incorporates new plans, designs and systems into ongoing operations. Develops technical documentation. Develops system Architecture and system design documentation. Guides system development and implementation planning through assessment or preparation of system engineering management plans and system integration and test plans. Interacts with the Government regarding Systems Engineering technical considerations and for associated problems, issues or conflicts. Ultimate responsibility for the technical integrity of work performed and deliverables associated with the Systems Engineering area of responsibility. Communicates with other program personnel, government overseers, and senior executives.

Multiple Openings:

We are hiring multiple Systems Engineers at varying levels (SE-1 and SE-3). While all roles operate within the same secure Linux and Kubernetes-based ecosystem, each position has a primary technical focus area. Engineers are aligned with a single core focus area based on their experience and interests. Candidates are not expected to perform across all areas listed below.

Current focus areas include:

Platform & DevOps Engineering

• Develop automation using Bash and Python
• Implement Infrastructure-as-Code using tools such as Ansible
• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins, etc.)
• Improve release management, build reliability, and deployment processes

Data Engineering & Distributed Processing

• Design and optimize data ingress and egress mechanisms
• Develop distributed processing jobs using Apache Spark
• Implement data validation, transformation, and anomaly detection
• Work with structured and semi-structured data formats (Parquet, JSON, CSV, XML)

Workflow Orchestration

• Design and maintain Apache Airflow DAGs
• Implement observable, scalable workflow patterns
• Integrate distributed processing engines and containerized runtimes

Full-Stack & API Development

• Develop web interfaces using JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and modern frameworks (e.g., React)
• Design REST APIs using Python frameworks (e.g., FastAPI)
• Implement secure authentication and authorization integrations
• Develop relational and non-relational database applications

Containerized Application Engineering

• Develop Python-based services
• Integrate with MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and messaging frameworks (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka)
• Deploy services using Docker, containerd, Podman, and Kubernetes
• Create and maintain Helm charts

Dataflow Platform Engineering

• Design and administer Apache NiFi data flows
• Create and troubleshoot complex operational data transport pipelines
• Implement secure and compliant data handling practices

Core Responsibilities- The System Engineer (SE) shall possess the following capabilities:

• Manage system requirements and derived requirements to ensure the delivery of production systems that are compatible with the defined system architecture(s) - Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF), Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), etc
• Contribute to the development of sections of systems engineering documentation such as System Engineering Plans, Initial Capabilities Documents, Requirements specifications, and Interface Control Documents
• Assist with the development of system requirements, functional requirements, and allocation of the same to individual hardware, software, facility, and personnel components
• Coordinate the resolution of action items from Configuration Control Board (CCB) meetings, design reviews, program reviews, and test reviews that require cross-discipline coordination
• Participate in an Integrated Product Team to design new capabilities based upon evaluation of all necessary development and operational considerations
• Allocate real-time process budgets and error budgets to systems and subsystem components
• Generate alternative system concepts, physical architectures, and design solutions
• Define the methods, processes, and evaluation criteria by which the systems, subsystems and work products are verified against their requirements in a written plan
• Develop system design solution that satisfies the system requirements and fulfills the functional analysis
• Review and provide input to program and contract work breakdown structure (WBS), work packages and the integrated master plan (IMP)
• Participate in the development of system engineering documentation, such as System Engineering Plans, Initial Capabilities Documents, Requirements Specifications, and Interface Control Documents
• Participate in interface definition, design, and changes to the configuration between affected groups and individuals throughout the life cycle
• Derive lower-level requirements from higher-level allocated requirements that describe in detail the functions that a system component must fulfill, and ensure these requirements are complete, correct, unique, unambiguous, realizable, and verifiable
• Participate in establishing and gaining approval of the definition of a system or component under development (requirements, designs, interfaces, test procedures, etc.) that provides a common reference point for hardware and software developers
• Develop derived requirements for Information Assurance Services (Confidentiality, Integrity, Non repudiation, and Availability); Basic Information Assurance Mechanisms (e.g., Identification, Authentication, Access Contro, Accountability); and Security Mechanism Technology (Passwords, cryptography, discretionary access control, mandatory access control, hashing, key management, etc.)
• Implement comprehensive SOA solutions Implement operational view, technical standards view, and system and services view for architectures using applicable DoDAF standards Review and/or approve system engineering documentation to ensure that processes and specifications meet system needs and are accurate, comprehensive, and complete
• Capture all interface designs in a common interface control format, and store interface data in a commonly accessible repository
• Assess each risk to the program and determine the probability of occurrence and quantified consequence of failure in accordance with an approved risk management plan In conjunction with system stakeholders, plan the verification efforts of new and unproven designs early in the development life cycle to ensure compliance with established requirements
• Prepare time-line analysis diagrams illustrating the flow of time-dependent functions
• Establish a process to formally and proactively control and manage changes to requirements, consider impacts prior to commitment to change, gain stakeholder buy-in, eliminate ambiguity, ensure traceability to source requirements, and track and settle open actions
• Serve as a member of the ССВ
• Develop system design alternatives that consider life cycle cost, reuse, complexity, risk, system expansion, and growth
• Develop alternative courses of action, workarounds, and fall-back positions with a recommended course of action for each risk, and monitor and re-evaluate risks at appropriate milestones.
• Monitors risks using earned value management (EVM) data
• Maintain knowledge of current and evolving agency, national, and international standards applicable to the system development of interest.
• Apply and enforce use of suitable standards to ensure consistency and interoperability of developer hardware and software
• As a participant within an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) effort, recommend a preferred solution based on selection criteria adjusted for reasonableness and validity of assumptions, technology limitations, environmental impact, and life-cycle costs
• Provide technical direction for the development, engineering, interfacing, integration, and testing of all components of complex hardware/software systems to include requirements elicitation, analysis and functional allocation, conducting systems requirements reviews, developing concepts of operation and interface standards, developing system architectures, and performing technical/non-technical assessment and management as well as end-to-end flow analysis Improve standard integration strategies based upon rationale for previous decisions that resulted in improved integration performance
• Fully define interfaces in terms of origination, destination, stimulus, and data characteristics for software; and electrical and mechanical characteristics for hardware

Requirements:

• Level 1- Seven (7) years' experience as a SE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type and complexity is required. Demonstrated experience in planning and leading Systems Engineering efforts is required.
• Level 2- Twenty (20) years' experience as a SE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type and complexity is required. Demonstrated experience in planning and leading Systems Engineering efforts is required.
• Bachelor's degree in System Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or related discipline from an accredited college or university is required.
• Five (5) years of additional SE experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.
• US citizenship and an active TS/SCI with polygraph security clearance required

The Swift Group and Subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.

Pay Range: $49,996.80 - $290,004.00

Pay ranges are a general guideline and not intended as a guaranteed and/or implied final compensation or salary for this job opening. Determination of official compensation or salary relies on several different factors including, but not limited to: level of position, complexity of job responsibilities, geographic location, work experience, education, certifications, Federal Government contract labor categories, and contract wage rates.

At The Swift Group and Subsidiaries, you will receive comprehensive benefits including but not limited to: healthcare, wellness, financial, retirement, education, and time off benefits.